Great Swordsmanship
Today marks the continuation of a long line of articles that provide new feats to highlight different fighting styles based on the weapon being wielded. In today’s case, the weapon getting the star treatment is actually a trio of related weapons: the bastard sword, the falchion, and the greatsword. In short, two-handed swords. I’ve largely been trying to stay away from swords for a while now, because the fact of the matter is that swords, at least in the mind’s eye of the average player, are kind of the “default” weapon, and so not only are they probably the ones that need the attention the least, but, more to the point, they have less of a specialized style to highlight in the first place. That said, I’m fairly happy with what I came up with here, and I think that the following feats can really make the excitement of fighting with really, really big knives come to life in your game.
Armor Bash (Combat)
You are capable of delivering powerful blows that weaken the effectiveness of the target’s armor.
Prerequisite: Power Attack, Weapon Focus (any two-handed melee weapon), base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single powerful attack with a two-handed melee weapon that not only damages the foe, but also dents and dislocates his armor. If the attack hits, the target is damaged, as normal, and the target’s armor bonus to AC, if any, is reduced by 2. This effect is cumulative, if this ability is used multiple times. The target can negate the penalty to his armor bonus by adjusting his armor as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, but otherwise the penalty lasts indefinitely.
Clash of Blades (Combat)
When you use your large sword to attempt to disarm a foe, even if you fail, the target’s balance and swing are disrupted.
Prerequisite: Improved Disarm or Powerful Disarm, Weapon Focus (bastard sword, falchion, or greatsword).
Benefit: Whenever you use the disarm or sunder combat maneuvers while wielding a bastard sword, falchion, or greatsword, if you fail the combat maneuver check by less than 5, then the target suffers a -2 penalty on attack and damage rolls until the beginning of your next turn. If you succeed on the combat maneuver check, or fail by 5 or more, then this ability does not apply. Additionally, you gain a +2 bonus to CMD to resist disarm or sunder attempts made against you as long as the weapon you are wielding is the same size category or larger than the weapon being used to make the disarm or sunder combat maneuver (see the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for more information on the size categories of weapons).
Greater Powerful Disarm (Combat)
You can send weapons flying out of your enemy’s hands.
Prerequisites: Powerful Disarm, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Whenever you successfully disarm a foe while wielding a two-handed melee weapon, you can have the weapon fly through the air, landing up to 30 feet away in the direction of your choice. If desired, you can try to have the disarmed weapon strike a specific opponent as it flies through the air. This requires a ranged attack with a range increment of 5 feet, and you suffer a -4 penalty for attacking in this manner. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and adds your Strength modifier to the damage dealt. If the attack misses, but the result of the attack roll is 5 or higher, it lands harmlessly in the target’s square. If the attack misses and the result of the attack roll is less than 5, determine where the weapon lands using the rules for missing with a splash weapon (see the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook).
Heavy Chop (Combat)
You are capable of delivering a single, powerful blow, the force of which ignores armor.
Prerequisite: Weapon Focus (bastard sword, falchion, or greatsword), base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can make a single powerful, overhead attack with a bastard sword, falchion, or greatsword. The target of the attack can attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your base attack bonus + your Strength modifier) to avoid the attack. Alternatively, the target can make an attack of opportunity before the attack is made. The target cannot do both, and making an attack of opportunity prevents the target from being able to make a Reflex save (though if the attack of opportunity reduces you to 0 or fewer hit points, you fail to make the attack). If the target fails his save, or chooses to make an attack of opportunity instead, then you automatically deal damage as though you had confirmed a critical hit with the bastard sword, falchion, or greatsword you were attacking with. No other effects of a critical hit apply (including any critical feats you may possess, weapon special abilities such as vorpal or flaming burst, or any other effect that occurs whenever you confirm a critical hit).
Powerful Disarm (Combat)
You know how to disarm a foe using power, not finesse.
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (any two-handed melee weapon).
Benefit: You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when performing a disarm combat maneuver, as long as you perform that combat maneuver while wielding a two-handed melee weapon. Additionally, you receive a +3 bonus on checks made to disarm a foe while you are wielding a two-handed melee weapon. This bonus does not stack with Improved Disarm.